Where is Home?
by Stormblade3
Summary: It's the first time he's ever let me out, what am I to do, where am I to go? I decide, the first question I need to answer, who am I? A sequel to Come Home Specialshipping(RedxYellow)
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note: **_Hello everyone, welcome to my sequel of Come Home hope you like it. Also, this is **Not** the book I'm planning this is a sequel, probably around ten chapters or so as well, just to hold you down until I get this idea tied down. _

_Reviews are appreciated and thanks for reading_

_-SB3_

**Chapter 1**

I stare at him nervously. He looks back with dark, intense eyes, and a rare sense of understanding flashes between us. My voice sounds unnatural when I speak, strange.

"You're letting me leave?" He nods, his eyes never leaving my face, and stretches a paw out to indicate I should follow the tunnel. I don't know how long I've been here; I don't remember anything before this. My existence has always been with him, watching over me, feeding me, yet always keeping me here in this dark prison. If I ever tried to leave, to follow the tunnel out he came after me, and sent me back here, I had accepted that there was nothing outside, or if there was I was safer and better off not knowing what it is.

Yet now he has awoken me, and stepped aside, and all but told me to leave. "What's out there?" I ask. No answer. "Will I see you again?" He shakes his head and his voice answers in my head.

_I hope not man. _

"What will I find?"

_You will see. I saved your life once, and kept you here in safety, but I cannot keep you forever. _

"Should I go now?"

_ I would. _

"Will you tell me first, how it is you saved my life?"

_Rocks fell, metal crashed, evil fell, destroyed at a price, freedom was near, and my savior was gone. I brought you here._

"Seems cryptic," I tell him, wanting him to go on, to truly tell me the details of my life before I first awoke to this darkness, and to him.

_You will only find the truth if you go_

"In that case, thank you, and goodbye." I square my shoulders and walk forward, into the pitch black tunnel out and of the dim cavern that has made up my life.

_You have asked before. _His words make me stop, _I will not tell what you will find, but I will tell who I am._ I catch my breath, eager for this strange and wondrous creature to divulge his name to me. _Mewtwo. _

"Mewtwo," I breathe, my mouth forming the word easily as if it is one I once put to use frequently.

_Go now man, before I change my mind. _I nod and walk forward, away from the only living thing I have ever known, or at the very least ever clearly remembered.

There is the girl, the woman from my dreams. With blonde hair and vivid green eyes, they shimmer like jewels, who is she? Mewtwo never told me, but he never told me much at all. Here he has allowed me to leave, and perhaps I will find out more about my life before him. For so long all there has been is the cave, the cold, food, sleep, and him. He took care of me, but he never divulged information to me, he treated me like an infant. The tunnel seems to go on forever, but I keep one foot in front of the other, and continue to move.

Finally, there is a strange bright sensation ahead of me. _Light _the word comes from somewhere deep in my mind, _the opposite of dark, light. _I step out, and it is all around me, overwhelming and impossible. Suddenly I am winded, on my knees, gasping clean, fresh air while everything crashes down on me. Sounds I have never heard before, but I have a name for _birds. _Things I have never seen, yet I know _trees, grass, a river. _The light which I have never seen though I know it comes from the sun. I close my eyes shut tight, tears squeezing out from the harshness of the sunlight in front of me and I dig my fingernails into the earth, wishing Mewtwo were here, to protect me like he always did before.

It takes time, but finally, _finally_ I can bear to peel my eyes open and look around at the natural setting around me. I stand up slowly, determined not to give up only an hour into this journey. I observe the world, a forest and grass, the cave, the river, these words which come to me automatically.

_It's the first time he's ever let me out. What am I to do, where am I to go? _I decide, the first question I need to answer is, who am I?


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

It is interesting to feel with my eyes closed. The wind brushing against my face, the grass rustling through my fingers and toes, the beautiful heat of sunlight coming down on my face, the fresh scents of flowers and honey and life filling my nose, all of it is wonderful. I open my eyes now and finally make myself peer into the river, staring at my reflection.

My skin is pale, bone white. My eyes are a bright vivid red, glowing crimson. My chin and face are covered in scruffy facial hair and the raven colored hair atop my head is overgrown, shaggy, and covered in dirt. The clothes I wear are worn out, torn and ragged, a faded red jacket and black shirt, ancient fraying jeans and sneakers which are falling apart.

None of this mattered before, but I get the sense that my appearance _does _matter here, outside. I rub at the scratchy beard on my face with a frown, and gasp a dark red fish flashes past me.

_Magikarp. _The word hits my brain like a blow and my head throbs painfully with the memory. _A Pokémon. _I recall now, people befriend, capture, and battle with them. Am I a trainer? Is the girl from my dreams a trainer? Or, does she have no connection to Pokémon whatsoever? Mewtwo is a Pokémon, this fact leaks into my brain slowly, not a fact but a memory. I knew Mewtwo before I woke up, I must have known him or else he wouldn't have saved me.

I push myself farther, _come on remember! Keep thinking, you need to remember! _I order myself. My eyes prickle painfully and my head burst with pain, _you can't forget everything, a name, at least recall a name! _ I gasp and take in deep breaths of air, and a short, brown bird lands in front of me. _Pidgey. _It cocks its head curiously at me, and then squawks. A smile touches my lips as I reach out to stroke its feathers but the bird takes off, fluttering away from me. _Pidgey, that's a name. _I reassure myself and climb, trembling violently, to my feet. My body is covered with sweat from the brief fit and I breathe in and out slowly, and then begin walking. I follow the river, I need water to survive and if I get lost at least I will have a basic need covered.

More Pokémon appear and I recognize them slowly. _Patrat, Lillipup _my mind filters through the names and I continue to move slowly, getting used to moving freely, breathing the crisp air of the outside world. These Pokémon aren't as familiar as Magikarp and Pidgey, as if I knew of them but rarely put the words to use, if ever. It takes time, and I'm not certain how long I've been moving, but eventually I hear voices.

"Listen Declan, I understand your point but that is not a logical reason to join the army. You said so yourself a year ago, this war is pointless!" I freeze in place, unsure what I should, whether I should move or not.

"Emma, come on. It's the best way to _get _there, that's all I need to do. I'm not actually going to fight in the army but transport is almost impossible unless you're on government leave." Now the two appear coming through the trees, a girl and boy. The girls eyes are lit in an angry fire, the boy remains calm and cool, staring at her. The boy sees me first, he has dark navy blue hair that is swept to the side and matching blue eyes. They widen in awe when he sees me, and he trails off to a stutter, looking me up and down, then up again, then down again. The girl, Emma, has blonde hair cascading down her back and vehement electric blue eyes. I feel my heart drop, for an instant, seeing that hair, I thought she was the woman from my dreams. Her mouth actually opens in shock when she sees me, my battered worn state and tangled hair.

"My god…" She whispers, and they both continue to stare at me.

"Could you…could you please help me?" I ask, my voice hesitant with the words.

"Of course," the boy is the first to move, coming forward hurriedly and stripping off his black jacket, putting it around my shoulders. "What happened to you, what's your name?" I stumble forward, his supporting arm around my shoulder and answer wearily, aware now how absolutely exhausted I am.

"I'm sorry, I don't know." The boy and girl look at each other. Now the girl speaks, her wrath gone, raw concern left over.

"You should just come with us," She murmurs, "get cleaned up, eat something, then tell us what happened."

"You don't know me, and you trust me?" I murmur.

"Do you want us to leave you out here?" The boy chuckles while the girl clears a path through the trees.

"No," I sigh, "I suppose not."

"Then we'll determine your trustworthiness later. My name is Declan, this is my sister Emma, we live in Aspertia City just a few minutes away, come on." I put my life in the hands of these two strangers and follow them dumbly, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other.

By the time we have reached their house I have explained to these siblings what I know, or rather what I don't know. I omit any mention of Mewtwo, instead telling them I woke up in a cave and stumbled out, that's the last I remember. "Amnesia," Emma murmurs. "I wonder if you were mugged and your body was left. There are lots of hate crimes happening lately,"

"Hate crimes?"

"Against people believed to be Kanto sympathizers."

"Kanto what?" I gasp, my head beginning to throb painfully.

"Emma," Declan's voice is hard and controlling, shutting his sister down. "The man is exhausted, and barely remembers a thing. Let's get him inside before we begin jumping to conclusions." She nods and they unlock the door, leading me into the foyer and living room. It's a small house, at the northern edge of the city. There is a small round coffee table surrounded by two couches, and two doors leading off of the main room. There is a staircase tucked into the corner. Emma sits me down and Declan disappears, flitting up the stairs and I hear him banging around up there, gathering things together. When he comes back he is holding a set of clothes, a towel, and a razor. _A razor, _I know what it's used for, I know what it's called, I know what it looks like, yet I can't remember ever seeing it before. I nod my thanks to him and stand up, taking the bundle and Emma points me to one of the doors leading off, explaining it is the bathroom.

I take my time in the shower, cleaning every inch of myself for what I remember to be the first time in my life; I remember how to operate everything, which is good. I know what all of these things are used for, I know how to read, I must come from a city or a town like this. There must be people out there who know who I am. Something Emma said keeps digging at me, an insistent nagging.

_Kanto _I know that word, it's a safe word filled with happiness and anxiety and excitement and love and hate, a word I know well, a word which has left my lips thousands of times. It sounds like a name, a person perhaps, or a place. As I shut off the shower and wrap a towel around my waist I remember the conversation in the woods. They were arguing, about Declan joining the army. I recall there were armies, mixed teams of men and Pokémon but my mind doesn't remember them being mobilized or in use anywhere. Still, my mind is certainly not to be trusted right now, it is a jumbled mess of confusion. I shave, and it takes some time but by the time I look back up at myself in the mirror I am feeling refreshed, better, and eager to find out who I am.

I am also starving.

Emma and Declan seem to have thought of this. When I come back wearing jeans and one of Declan's shirts which is too big on me there is a sandwich, an apple, and a cup of juice waiting on the coffee table. The siblings are both perched on the couch waiting for me, watching me intently. I come toward them and sink into a comfy chair across from them, Emma nudges the plate over to me and I begin to eat, trying to make it a slow process but the food is gone in about five minutes.

_Minutes, hours, months, years, I remember time well enough. _I snap myself back to focus on Declan as he clears his throat and leans forward.

"Around now, I think you owe us a bit of an explanation." I nod and clear my throat, and I tell them.

"I don't know who I am, or where I'm from, I don't remember anything right now really. I remember being in that cave for a very long time but…something kept me from leaving."

"Something?"

"There were…rocks in the way of the exit. I was there for what felt like forever, and one day I moved them and saw there was a tunnel behind them. I don't remember anything before that cave, I've been trying too. I recognize Pokémon, and I remember things when I see them but everything is so fuzzy and my head hurts so badly…"

"How long were you out of the cave?" Emma probes gently, leaning forward, her elbows resting on her knees.

"Four hours maybe, tops."

"This does sound like amnesia, usually it's a blow to the head coupled with fear that you may die… does that jog your memory at all?" I shake my head miserably. Declan frowns and chews his bottom lip thoughtfully, "I can't explain the cave or the rocks, how you may have gotten there, in the meantime though I'm glad we can help you." He's being careful, I can tell. Not to run off an awkward sentence in which he requires use of my name.

"It's getting a bit late," Emma murmurs. I look a clock on the wall, 7:30. It's not all that late but I am about to collapse. "Why don't you take the guest bedroom and then…we could take you to a doctor in the morning." I nod.

"Thank you," I murmur, "thank you so much." Declan helps me up the steps and into a clean, somewhat sparse bedroom. He takes care of me like a child, situating me in bed until I am comfortable and then heads for the door. "Declan!" I call. He turns back, looking back in curiously.

"Yes?"

"Your sister, she mentioned something earlier. Kanto, what is that?"

"It's a region, a country very very far away from here." He answers quietly.

"She also, she said hate crimes, and the army…"

"You don't know about the war?" I shake my head stupidly. I feel like an idiot, a dumb childlike overgrown infant. "Kanto and Unova, this country, have been at war the past four years. Hate crimes against Kanto sympathizers, that's what she meant. I- we have friends in Kanto that's why I want to join the army, to get there and then desert so I can find them and be sure they're safe. It's…not very honorable, it's all but impossible though to get to Kanto or here from one or the other without being in the army, without special government permission." I nod thoughtfully, frowning. "Don't worry," he assures me, yawning. "I'm pretty sure you're not from there, the journey takes several months by boat, it would take some time to get from there to here. You would have to remember some of it." I nod, not answering verbally. He turns, shuts of the light, and closes the door. I lay down, and stare at the ceiling, and let exhaustion overwhelm me.

**Authors Note: **_Whoa! Who are these random OC's helping our hero out? And whats with this war between Kanto and Unova, what the heck is going on, where is Yellow, Hunter, and Rose in all this. My head is going to explode!_

_A little insight into chapter 3:_

_Declan and Emma work hard to uncover who their new friend may be, and when they find out, they're not sure whether anyone is safe anymore._

_Worst. Tease. Ever. Right? Sorry, I suck at those._

_Reviews are appreciated and thanks for reading!_

_-SB3_


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors Note: **_I'M ALIVE! Sorry for waiting for a while guys but I had exams and then packing and then I moved so...yeah. (My family moves every few years) So this summer I am SUPER DUPER busy but I will write and update when I can and when I don't have internet I will write so when I do I can update. Sound cool? Sorry guys but the next couple months will be pretty erratic updates._

_Reviews are appreciated and thanks for reading!_

_-SB3_

**Chapter 3**

When I wake up the window is open and there is a square of light from the sun resting on my bed. I stretch, groan, and roll over where there is a small digital clock ticking out the time. 9:00AM it tells me, I sigh heavily, and sink into my pillow, staring at the white ceiling. _Who am I_? I wonder, searching my clipped, hazy mind for an answer._ Do I have a family, friends, are there people out there looking for me? Or are they all dead, or was there never someone to begin with? _I recount the lifetime I spent with Mewtwo in the cave, he claims to have saved my life, but from what? I saved his life too, apparently. What if Mewtwo was my only friend in the world, the only person I ever cared for?

I hear a thump downstairs and groan, sitting up slowly as I remember my overly generous hosts Emma and Declan. My legs swing over the bed and I stand up, noticing now a fresh set of clothes on the chair in the corner of the room. I don't shower but just change and then head out into the dark hallway, and toward the stairs. I can smell the tantalizing scents of eggs and bacon coming up now and my head throbs once with pain, there is a flash of memory in my mind. A different staircase, a different house, the same scents though, overwhelming my brain. I gasp and slump back against the railing, gripping it tightly as I try to hold onto the shredded memory, it is already fading away though, no new details are present. I sigh heavily, and then become aware of quiet voices floating toward me.

"_Another _one?" It's Emma, gasping quietly in shock.

"Yes, they're getting closer." Her brother murmurs.

"This war is getting out of control. Did you hear what happened last week? Some boys in Castelia were playing around, pretending to be on opposing sides and the boys on the Kanto side were arrested. They were eight, _children_, playing a _game_!"

"Emma," Declan's voice is stable as he comforts his sister. "I know, I heard about it too. Complaining about things isn't going to help,"

"Oh no, _action will_," Her words are a mockery, insulting him.

"Emma, I _have_ to know they're safe."

"Don't go." She pleads with him. There is a long stretch of silence now and the only sounds are the sizzle of bacon and the scraping of a skillet. I take my chance now with the lull in the conversation and descend the rest of the steps. Emma is perched on the island, her feet dangling in the air, Declan is beside the stove and they are both staring straight at each other unblinking.

She is the first one to turn toward me, sticking a plastic smile to her face. "Good morning," She cheers to me and I nod to her warily as she jumps off and comes toward me, taking my hand and leading me to the table. Declan nods to me, his smile tight, and ladles the breakfast he is making onto three plates. While he is carrying them over I see the headlines of the Nimbasa Times: **Bombings in Virbank- Kanto's Strategy Remains Erratic. **

At least thirty have been killed from the bombs and over one hundred reported wounded. The bombing displays a bizarre turn of events as there are no military stationed in Virbank. The aggression against a civilian population has angered officials-

Emma snatches the paper away, throwing it haphazardly onto the island and out of my line of sight. We eat in silence for a couple minutes and then, Declan speaks.

"I contacted the doctor today, she works beside the Pokémon Center. She said we could bring you over at around noon so she can look at you."

"Thank you," I grunt, stirring my eggs around my plate. When I look up again Emma is consumed with her food, Declan is staring at me intently though. "Is everything okay?" I ask, beginning to feel slightly uncomfortable under his intense gaze.

He frowns, blinks, and then straightens up, shaking his head and mumbling something quietly. "Yes, I'm sorry." He continues to sneak looks at me for the rest of our morning meal though and after ten more minutes I can't take it anymore, I excuse myself to go take a shower. I am halfway up the stairs when Emma snaps.

"God Declan that was so creepy, what's wrong with you?"

"I-I don't know!" Her brother insists. "I-I know him though, from somewhere. I've _seen_ him before, not personally but…maybe it's nothing." When doubt enters his voice I continue up the steps, hurrying into the bathroom, not wanting to hear any more about who I am, or rather, who I'm not

I blink harshly as the bright blue light shines into my retinas. The woman nods and makes a thoughtful hmm sound. I try my best not to blink and to sit still until she has finished poking, and prodding me.

"There's no bump on his head indicating he was struck, however if he was in this cave a long time it could have had time to heal and go away." She tells Emma, turning toward her. Declan is sitting in the waiting room, flipping through _History of the Pokémon League _which he grabbed from the house right before we left.

"Well, how long do you think you were in the cave?" Emma asks, turning to me.

"I don't know…day's maybe?" I shrug, knowing that it was much _much_ longer than that.

"Standard amnesia is caused by a blow to the head coupled with psychological trauma." The young doctor continues, "his vitals are fine, however based on the condition you found him in I would say this is probably the cause of his memory loss."

"Will my memory come back?" I press.

"Well, that's hard to say." She frowns and bites her lip, thinking. "The truth is, all of it could come back, or none of it, or anywhere in between that spectrum. It's possible that if you see someone or something your memory could be jogged." At that moment a red light starts blinking, flashing brightly and I wince from the intensity. The doctor pales, crossing over to the light and pressing it down, stopping the wail and flash. The door we came through, linking to the waiting room, slides open and a gurney is rolled in, with a grotesque groaning mess on top of it.

The man's leg is twisted at an odd angle, bleeding and torn open. I catch sight of the bone and feel my stomach flip, turning away to shield my eyes.

"Emma, I'm afraid you'll have to leave now." The doctor smiles at us and then follows the gurney and two nurses into an emergency unit. Emma takes my hand and leads me out of the office. Declan is standing up in the waiting room, and as soon as he sees us he turns and storms out, looking angry and frustrated.

"Declan wait!" Emma calls, letting go of me to jog up to him in the street and spin him around. "Did you _not_ just see that? Will you please reconsider joining the army? _That_," She jerks her head back to the hospital, "is not worth going to check if they're safe."

"Nothing is going to happen to me Emma." He snarls, eyes blazing at his sister.

"Do you think that man didn't tell his family the same thing?" She is almost screaming now and I take a step forward, then something in my peripheral vision distracts me.

I turn so I am facing the two boys, who are spacing out an area in the street across from each other. Each of them holds a round red and white sphere in his grip and as one they both rear back and fling them forward. The balls look fragile, as if they may break the moment they touch the ground, instead I watch them crack open and release a brilliant white light, and two creatures.

The boy closest to me has launched forward a Lillipup. His adversary, a Snivy. The children smile as they launch into their battle, calling for weak simple attacks from their partners.

My head throbs once.

A flash of memory scrapes across my mind, a battle much more intense, with greater beasts launching themselves at each other. My eyes prick painfully and I wince, trying to flesh out the dim setting of the memory. Before I can though another memory strikes, and then another. Each one in different places, a mountain, forest, building, with different Pokémon battling, a different opponent each time. The flashes become painful, overwhelming my mind and I stumble back a few steps. Vaguely I feel Declan's arms holding me up and Emma calling to me if I am okay, then I the onslaught of battle memories become too much and I slip away.

"I knew it!" I blink harshly, waking up to Declan's victorious cheer. My headache has faded and my vision has become regular and stable again. I find myself lying on the couch in their house. "I knew I had seen him somewhere, that's why I picked up this book before we left!"

"Well then tell me who he is Declan," She stresses, rushing his revelation. I try to make myself move, I want to know just as much as she does who I am, but my body feels numb and weak.

"Look at this picture, recognize anyone?"

"…Red, champion of the Kanto League. Oh my god I've heard of him!"

"_Everyone's_ heard of him Emma." _Red_ _that's my name? How appropriate_, I reflect thinking of my eyes.

"Plenty of trainers were able to surpass the Pokémon League but none have been able to best Red so Kanto still considers him their greatest champion even after his death 8 years ago." Emma's voice is quiet and I think she is reading aloud.

"They never found his body." Declan continues. I am starting to feel strength returning to my limbs now but I don't dare to move, I am wondering if they will come to the same conclusion I already have.

"…Declan do you think Red was in that cave for 8 years?"

"I don't know Emma, I don't know how he got here or how he lost his memory. You're forgetting something though Emma."

"What?" _So Declan remembers as well. _I think, Emma hasn't, not yet.

"Emma he's from Kanto, Red is the _champion of the Kanto Pokémon League _he would have been their greatest military leader in this war if he hadn't died, or gone missing." Emma is silent, considering his words. Finally he utters four words that send fear flashing down my spine. "He is our enemy."

**Chapter 4 Teaser:** _They know his name, but now is he safe?_


	4. Chapter 4

**Authors Note:** _I promised I wouldn't ditch you guys, and I haven't! Unfortunately this chapter is essentially the definition of boring fluff mashed together to take up space which is why I'm skipping ahead a little in chapter 5 to actually get something interesting to happen. Also, keep in mind later in this short book guys its only ten chapters so things will move a little quickly starting next chapter considering I'm almost halfway done._

_Also, just to make the obvious more obvious, I have made some personal tweaks and changes to the characters in this story and Come Home. The Red in this story is from the games (Red, Blue, Firered, Leafgreen, Gold, Silver, Crystal, Heartgold, Soulsilver) the Yellow is from the Pokemon Adventures Manga. Green and Blue are also pulled from the manga however I switched their names in deference to the Japanese titles, in case anyone was confused about any of that._

_This is not my permanent perception future stories may use the Adventures Manga Red with the Adventures Manga Yellow and I may switch Green and Blue's names back to the right place, this is only the characterization I have used for these two stories. Okay, enough from me, read on into my crappy midnight written fluff!_

_Reviews are appreciated and thanks for reading!_

_-SB3_

**Chapter 4**

The silence stretches on for a long time. Finally Emma speaks,

"Declan, you can't be serious."

"Emma, if they find him here…"

"No one is going to come looking for him here, everyone thinks he's dead."

"I recognized him, hundreds of thousands of people all over the world know him Emma, how long until someone else realizes who he is?" She doesn't answer for a while. I try to decide whether to move or not, will I be in danger, any more so than if I continue to feign sleep? Finally I sit up, and stare at both of them. Emma and Declan look back at me and for a long time all three of us are frozen there, unmoving.

Finally I speak, "I'm not just going to go with you to the police." Declan sighs, and runs a hand through his hair, looking at the floor.

"I'm not going to let you take him," Emma adds, moving so she stands between me and her brother. Declan glares at each of us and leans back against the island, crossing his arms and wearing a sour expression. Emma continues to stand defensively, and Declan and I just stare at each other. Finally the cobalt haired boy speaks,

"Fine, we'll help him, are you happy now Emma?" He snarls and she relaxes a little, but doesn't move from her position in front of me. He turns to face the counter where his book lies open. "Come here Red there's some good information about you in here." I move, staying anxiously behind Emma as the three of us gather around the open book. On the left side I stare back at myself, considerably younger but there is no doubt this confident, serious young man is me. I look first at the title on the right page, which is scrawled with print.

**Red Champion of the Kanto Pokémon League(Deceased)**

Red became the champion of the Kanto Pokémon League when he was 17 years old, two years after he began his journey alongside a Pikachu. He defeated his rival Green in the finals, and shortly thereafter disappeared where he lived atop Mt. Silver. He was brought back three years later by his wife Yellow who went to find him and brought him back to Pallet Town. When his son Hunter was five years old he was kidnapped, in response Red left home with his friends and wife to rescue the boy. He was killed in the process of saving his son at the age of 23 and his family Yellow, Hunter, and Rose to this day live in Pallet Town. Plenty of trainers were able to surpass the Pokémon League but none have been able to best Red so Kanto still considers him their greatest champion even after his death 8 years ago.

"When was this book published?" I ask.

"Two months ago," Declan tells me and I look back down at the page. _Was I in that cave with Mewtwo for 8 years, and these people Yellow, Hunter, and Rose they were my family?_

"Do you remember anything?" Emma murmurs anxiously but I shake my head.

"No, I'm sorry I don't." Both of the siblings are quiet. Finally Declan closes the book and looks over at Emma.

"How in hell are we going to get him to Kanto?" He asks her and I frown, drumming my fingers on the counter, thinking. I consider the brothers insistence to join the army, and finally I answer.

"The same way you were going to get there." They both stare at me, "we'll both join the army Declan, we'll both go to Kanto to find who we're looking for."

"Red," The boys voice is steady, and soft, like he's reminding me of something tediously, like I am a child who has forgotten over and over again. "You're the Kanto League Champion, you can't just walk up to a Unova draft station and join."

"Declan, people see what they expect to see, what they want to see. I'm a Kanto League Champion who's dead, _no one _is going to think of him," I put my hand on the book cover, "when they see me. If they do, they'll assume I'm a lookalike. I'm eight years older than I was when I was last seen, and 13 years older than when I first became famous." The silence becomes raw and tense, and electricity practically sparks in the air in front of us as all three of our eyes shift from one to the other.

"When we get there, what then Red? You find your family, and people will know who you are, and everyone will be after you, and everyone _here_ will want to kill you. Everyone _there_ will want to lock you up to protect you."

"Declan, do you not understand what's happening to me right now?" I hiss, feeling anger mount in my body. "There are names in that book, people in that book that I don't know. People I _should_ know. A wife, two children, I don't remember them, don't know them. They've thought I'm dead for eight years, I can't let them think that any longer, _I have to go home._" He looks away, refusing to make eye contact.

"You two can't just discuss this with each other whether to join the army or not. Declan I've already told you no!" Emma bursts now and both of us turn toward her.

"Emma, he needs to get home, and I'm willing to go with him if we could come up with a safe way for him to do it." Declan murmurs,

"You can't just leave me here what if neither of you come back!" her voice borders on hysteria and she is almost shrieking in a panic now.

"Emma!" I find myself stepping forward, and I put my hands on her forearms, looking straight at her, making her stare back at my crimson irises. 'Emma relax, we won't leave you. We'll join the army, and you'll come with us." Declan becomes rigid and her eyes flash with surprise at my words.

"No!" He gasps just as she throws her arms around me, squealing in excitement.

"Yes, we're going to Kanto, we're going to find your family and our friends, thank you Red!"

"No way, no Emma it's too dangerous!"

"Declan either we do this all together, or none of us go." I tell him, turning toward her brother and he tightens his hands into fists. "Where are the draft posts?" I ask Emma, while Declan slumps back against the counter, crossing his arms and fuming silently.

"The closest one is in Castelia." She answers, unable to hid the broad grin stretched across her face. Ignoring the detail that Declan still has not given us his answer I smile at her,

"Then we'll go to Castelia City and sign up tomorrow." Emma flings her arms around my neck again, cheering loudly.

"Yes, we're going to Kanto, you're going home Red!" _Home, I guess this foreign land we're headed toward is home, if only it felt like it._


	5. Chapter 5

**Authors Note: **_Back from camp and vacations and stuff with a...super weird chapter for you. Sorry, I wrote this really late and I guarantee you when I reread this tomorrow morning I will be eternally shamed for ever putting this on the internet but I just want to get this out to you all now, I've kept you waiting long enough._

_Also, I'm not back yet I have more stuff to do this summer so updates are still not going to stabilize, sorry. _

_Anyway..._

_Reviews are appreciated and thanks for reading_

_-SB3_

**Chapter 5**

The boat beneath us dips and swirls in the waves, and I lean over the railing, pulling at the light blue uniform on my body.

"It's pretty uncomfortable," Declan speaks my thoughts and I grimace. "At least we'll only be wearing it a couple months," I nod, recalling our plan to desert the moment we're in Kanto. Joining the army was none too interesting, waiting in line for hours with scores of overexcited men and women, registering, me with a fake name, and being assigned to the next boat to the Seafoam Islands. Once there we're supposed to wait for reinforcements then launch an attack on Fuchsia City. Declan, Emma, and I won't be there for that though, by then we'll be long gone, assuming everything goes smoothly.

"You'd think they would opt for something less noticeable, more camouflaged." I grumble, staring at the blue on my body which reflects the sky.

"Nah, not Unova. They're patriotic and proud before they're strategic and smart. Probably why you're winning this war." He smirks, and I sigh, putting my chin on the railing and watching the endless expanse of ocean in front of me.

"How did this war even start?" I ask, "I don't remember frequent fighting before."

"The last war ended when we were all babies." He agrees, "Between all the regions, our war-between Kanto and Unova- was a result of pride."

"I think all war is a result of pride, or of greed."

"Sometimes war is the right course to take."

"And sometimes its the wrong course." I counter and we are both silent. "So," I press, "how did it start?" He shrugs and I straighten up, looking at him as he bends over the railing, staring at the sun transforming the sea to a frothy white mix.

"There were some disagreements between Lance and Iris at the Regions Conference five years ago, thats when tensions became present. Within the next few months small crimes and fights were breaking out in either region against those from the other. When ten men from Kanto were beaten to death in Nimbasa everyone turned to Lance to retaliate, way I see it he didn't have much of a choice but to throw himself into a war, not sure he wanted to but thats been the way it is for the past four years. Each day more people die, each day more sign up to die, You're winning though, Kanto that is, I would bank on the war ending within two years." None of this rings a bell for me, Mewtwo never mentioned it and I was probably in that cave when this all started, thats what we've assumed anyway that I'd been there for eight years. It certainly felt like eight years, an eternity.

"Unova and Kanto, they're far away from each other." I murmur,

"Unova is as far from Kanto as it can be." He agrees.

"According to that book, I died in Kanto."

"Yes."

"How did I get all the way over here, and not remember a thing?" The only thing I can think of is if Mewtwo teleported me, I'd seen him do so sometimes, leave and come back with food for me. Sometimes he would be gone for what felt like days but lets face it there was no sense of time in that cave.

"I don't know Red. Maybe we'll find answers in Kanto, and maybe we won't right now we just need to get there." Silence again, I review the past two weeks of rushed training before they packed us on a boat, told us the plan, and said goodbye. Declan's right, Unova is getting desperate, no proper training, they're just looking for numbers, and anyone who is signing up, is doing so heading to death or imprisonment. Two months on this boat, and then put on foreign soil which is supposedly my home to find a family I don't remember. I close my eyes and let the image of the woman from my dreams overwhelm me, smiling and laughing, her arms around my neck as I carry her through a forest, two Pikachu racing to keep up with us. Who are you? I ask her, are you Yellow, do you miss me, or have you moved on and do you love someone else now? I open my eyes as Declan speaks again,

"It's going to be a long two months." I don't answer, but eventually I nod.

It is a long two months. Two months of waiting and training and talking and working, avoiding spending too much time around anyone lest they recognize me. I read books about my life, mostly biographies that we picked up before the ship set sail. I learn about my championship battle with Green, and my friend Blue, and that my mother and I were abandoned by my father.

Finally one morning I roll out of bed with the others around me and Declan, yawning, tells me nonchalantly that we will be arriving today. His voice is laid back and relaxed but his eyes exchange an intense look with me, reminding me of our mission, that we need to leave the Seafoam Islands as soon as we can. Except we never figured out how to do that, I find myself wishing we had thought this through more. The day is seemingly longer than the past two months combined, Declan, Emma, and I spend a lot of time leaning across the deck railing waiting impatiently for the coast of the islands to appear. We are so bent on spotting the strip of land which should supposedly rear in front of us that we don't notice the ship, and Declan sees the aircraft just in time.

"Is that a plane?" He asks and I shift my eyes to glance upward, my ears becoming aware of the whooshing accompanied by the jet.

"Yes," I answer, watching its swift progress toward us. Declan sounded urgent, worried, and my thoughts have become so numb that I can't quite piece together why. Then I remember that we are in Kanto, and any planes on the border will probably be armed, and seeking to take us down. Declan shoves us to the ground just as a missile is released from the cockpit and rushes toward our boat, thundering over our heads momentarily deafening me, and explodes against the side of the boat.

I am thrown sideways, becoming airborne for an instant as roaring gold and bronze flames erupt around me. I hear people screaming see the bright intensity of the aftermath of the explosion, and then I hit the deck again with a force that winds me. I gasp for breath and twist my head around, seeking out Emma and Declan in alarm. Another blast shakes the boat and I skid across the top of the deck again, scrambling uselessly with my hands to steady myself. Finally everything freezes and I can hear nothing except for the blood rushing in my ears and the screaming of people around me, flames dance in front of me and I open my mouth shouting.

"EMMA! DECLAN!"

"Where are you?" She answers me and I twist around, coughing as black smoke fills my eyes and lungs and try to understand what has just happened, what has just flipped everything upside down.

"Red!" I turn quickly as Declan appears above me, grabbing my wrist and yanking me to my feet.

"The plane!" I gasp,

"There's a ship shooting at us too, we're sinking Red we have to get out of here. Do you know where Emma is?" I shake my head and he spins around, fear igniting his features as he searches for his sister.

"Declan we're in the middle of the ocean where are we going to go?" I demand, trying to bring the man to his senses but he just shakes his head pushing me away until he has asserted the safety of Emma. Abruptly he moves, his feet pushing off the deck as he runs into the thick smoke and, feeling stupid and weak, I follow him into the blackness where I assume he has located the girl. We dodge around other men and women from Unova as we go, smoke swirls around us and for a moment I am somewhere else. A cave, someone sprinting behind me, our breath coming shallow, our hearts pounding, both of us utterly intent on our task, a task which will cost me my life if I fail.

"She's here!" I am jolted back to the present as I see Declan stooping over his little sister, helping her to his feet. Another tremor rocks the ship and we all duck, freezing as we hear shouts and running.

"I think they've boarded the boat!" Declan calls, "we need to get out of here!" As he speaks rapid gunfire smashes into my ears and the confusion and alarm becomes too much, I look to Declan, I wait for him to order us, wait to obey his commands, sick of this and just wanting someone else to tell me what to do. Emma seems to feel the same way as she grips her brother with a vicegrip and looks up at him, he surveys the fogged deck with a cool, serious expression then nods to my right. "This way!" He calls just as open fire rattles and shoots around us. We all drop to the ground in an instant and wait, I cover my head and wish for this to end, and I hear Declan shouting. "Red get up!" I blindly pull myself to my feet and follow him and Emma, bullets fling themselves past us so fast and so close that I feel the burn on my skin though they don't make contact.

Then, all at once, everything freezes. Everything in time stops as Emma does, jolting her feet to a standstill, and we all look at her chest where a round spurt of blood flashes forward from her heart.

"NO!" I gasp just as she whispers,

"Declan!" She slumps in her brothers arms, her face becoming white, staring up at him with round eyes and he just stands and stares and looks at her, nothing showing evidence that his body is responding to any of this. He is in shock, and her eyes shift to mine just as she makes them flutter close and she stops breathing.

How long do we stand there, moments, days? Declan just stands and stands and looks at her body and my eyes search him anxiously, having no idea what I am to do even as we stand amidst gunfire and the prospect of death becomes stronger with each passing second. Finally I force myself to move, I wrap my hand around his wrist and yank him away, he doesn't argue or move I just pull him across the deck of the ship, to the railing, and unable to think of any other solution I let stupidity overtake me and jump, pulling him with me.

What happens? I don't even know for sure, the cold of the ocean shocks my mind into actual consciousness and, with Declan just paddling and staring at me I order him. "Swim!" He obeys, and we swim, in the middle of the ocean, not even knowing where we are going. I am just conscious that we need to survive somehow, not drown, not get shot, so I keep swimming. My breath becomes ragged, my body becomes numb with the cold, and my mind is still lost back somewhere on that boat trying to process Emma's death.

When do we find the beach? I don't process it, I just collapse across it, coughing and spitting water, Declan beside me as we gulp deep lungfuls of air. We just lie there, splayed out on the rocky beach with the sun setting against us, treasuring the fact that we are still breathing while we reprocess everything. Twilight has turned to dusk when he begins to cry, sobbing, wracked painful sounds eliciting from his mouth as he gasps for air and wails over the death of his sister.

"I never wanted her to come!" He gasps as I crawl over to him, and put a hand on his back, rubbing gently as he cries. "I never wanted her to come, I was supposed to protect her, I told them I would protect her!" I assume he means his parents and I don't say anything I just let silent tears mar my cheeks as he fights to breathe between his tears. "I was supposed to protect her!" He cries over and over again and I watch him silently. "I was supposed to protect her!" His voice rises and falls in pitch. "I was supposed to protect her, I was supposed to protect her!" I make soothing circles on his back as we both cry, trembling and freezing on the unknown beach, his chant falls to a pathetic murmuring and I relax my body, still staying beside him, listening to him. I can't be certain which of us cries ourself to sleep first.

**Chapter 6 Teaser: **_Red and Declan are fugitives now, supposed escapees of a Unova vessel on Kanto soil, and it seems as if everyone is searching for them._


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Red, Red wake up." I groan and roll over, opening my eyes and looking up into a star filled sky. "Red?" I turn and look at Declan who is leaning over me, his hand on my shoulder. "Red we need to go before the sun rises." He whispers.

"Declan," I murmur but he shakes his head at my tone.

"Not now," he grunts, "now we just need to go." I don't argue with him, I scramble to my feet and he jerks his head in the direction we will walk along the beach.

"We're headed east, I think we're on the Fuchsia coast." He tells me shortly.

"Declan," I sigh after several minutes of walking. His hands are stuffed into his pockets and his shoulders are slumped. "Do you want to talk about it?" I whisper.

He doesn't answer.

After a time we creep away from the beach and onto a dusty road that is marked and treaded, clearly used for countless battles and travelers.

"Won't this path be too obvious?" I hiss in the dark silence of the night.

"We won't be on it long," He assures me, "we're headed north soon. We're going to Lavender Town." The black sky steadily turns to a light gray color and we continue to walk in silence, I can't speak for Declan but I find myself feeling defeated and exhausted. Our feet drag and after a time we do make a sharp turn north, passing a small collection of windmills, walking along a bridge stretched out over the ocean.

**Silence Bridge**, a sign tells us, _well we certainly fit that description. What happened to us?_ I wonder while we walk. Declan was strong and confident and determined, now he's walking like a dead man. And me, even if I find Yellow what if I don't remember her? What if she's just another face in a confusing mess of amnesia? We stumble blindly, truly moving like zombies, the sun rises overhead slowly and we pass no one. He tells me that the gyms are still active, though many with temporary gym leaders as the actual leaders have left to fight, but there are few trainers remaining traveling either Unova or Kanto. "What we need to worry about is army patrols, we're traveling up the eastern coast of Kanto so there's bound to be some sooner or later." There is water on either side of us though so I don't know what Declan expects us to do if a patrol does come along, go for a swim I guess.

He ends up being right, of course. When the first small band of men are seen on the horizon Declan grabs me by the wrist and leaps into the ocean, he paddles so we are under the bridge in a small airspace, breathing from the gaps in the bridge. We watch the patrol of crimson clad soldiers, laughing and talking with each other, completely relaxed. I catch sight of the guns at their hips and of course the small red and white Pokeballs holding Pokemon who fight in this war and feel a little bit sick. Once they are far past us I look over at Declan to see if he is ready to jump back up but his mind is far away, stuck somewhere where he can't see or hear me.

I end up yanking him out of the ocean._ Look at what I've done to him,_ I think numbly as we walk, dripping and shivering._ If I had just refused their hospitality, or even told Emma she couldn't come with us to Kanto, none of this would have happened, this is my fault, my fault, all my fault._ I repeat that to myself over and over again. The second patrol that passes us we are conveniently able to run along a panel of the bridge leading to the forested coastline and we crouch there in the edge of the woods for a while. I ask if we might follow the forest to Lavender but he shakes his head and tells me it will take longer.

So we continue silently on Silence Bridge, sick and cold and weak and essentially lifeless.

Lavender Town is marked ahead of us by a giant tower stretching into the sky.

"Radio Tower," Declan tells me, "it used to be a burial tower for Pokemon but some heartless idiot with bottomless pockets tore it down and built the radio tower." When we come off the bridge and onto the sandy road leading to the town he continues, "there used to be a border checkpoint here, you know telling people they were entering Lavender but it was removed when the Tower was built." It occurs to me that he's telling me things I should know, things I probably did know, things I want to know.

Yet all the same things I don't know.

It's a small town, a handful of houses built around the Tower. People bustle in and out of the skyscraper but otherwise things are quiet and relaxed. "This way," Declan skirts the edge of the town, conscious of the curious eyes stuck to our damp but obviously blue Unova army uniforms. Thankfully any eyes that train on us are children and I doubt parents would believe them if they claimed two Unova soldiers came traipsing through this sleepy town. Declan approaches a house to the north of the town, and knocks on the door.

"Coming!" A woman's voice answers and I look at Declan, at the grave expression on his face and after a time the door swings open.

A woman in her late forties stands there, an apron around her waist, just wiping her hands as she looks at us. Behind her I see a small cozy looking living room with a chair and fireplace and an older man with thinning hair who glances over at us. She stares at Declan, Declan stares at her, the man stands behind who I assume is his wife and looks on shocked and I stand to the side feeling out of place and awkward. I look at Declan and see with a start there are tears in his eyes, suddenly he stumbles forward into her arms and buries his face in her chest sobbing quietly. Her arms envelop him slowly, patting his back silently and the man comes forward.

"Oh Declan," The woman sighs, "what is happening, why are you dressed this way, and where is your sister?" He looks like a child, the grown man bawling into a womans shirt but I decide given everything that has happened he certainly has a right to this. "Why don't you both come in?" She offers and I step into the house, she leads Declan in and he wipes his eyes hurriedly.

"I'm sorry," He mumbles, "I'm sorry,"

"It's okay just go sit in the living room I'll bring you both some tea." The man puts his hand on Declan's shoulder and leads us both over to a couch while the woman shuts the door and bustles into an open doorway which I assume leads to the kitchen. I sit down on one end of the couch, Declan on the other, and the man sits across from us in a large chair. Declan buries his face in his hands and sobs quietly. The woman comes to stand in the doorway of the living room and looks at us.

"Um," I clear my throat hesitantly, "if you don't mind me asking, would you be willing to tell me how you know Emma and Declan, what their relationship to Kanto is through you?"

"Oh," The woman laughs, "sorry I thought he would have told you, Declan and Emma are from Kanto, we're their parents."

**Authors Note: **_Lots and lots to happen next chapter, I'm looking forward to it are you?_

_Reviews are appreciated and thanks for reading!_

_-SB3_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"What is that?" I glance over at Declan while we change into old clothes of his, then down at my bare chest as I pull on a pair of sweatpants. I touch the pink faded mark and shake my head hesitantly.

"I don't…" I press it lightly, the scar just above my diaphragm. "I don't…know." After the revelation from his parents Declan and I explained everything to them, including the death of Emma and we all cried. By the time we had finished it was around dinnertime so we ate and Declan's mother offered that we stay in his old room tonight and his father can drive us to Pallet Town tomorrow. It's strange to think that our journey is almost over, I'm so close to being home, in 24 hours I will be with my family, whom I frustratingly still can't remember.

"It looks like a bullet scar, as if you were shot." He whispers. I shrug helplessly, not remembering anything, as usual.

"Declan what if I don't remember them?" I voice my fears for the first time and he answers quickly.

"You will Red, you have to."

"But if I-"

"Red," His tone makes me stop and I look up at him, away from the old scar. "You will remember them, you already care about them I can see that in you trying to get home. So what if you don't remember them when you see them, you care and you want to make this work, which leads me to believe you will." I look down again, sitting heavily on his bed as I stare into my hands, hunched over and thinking silently. "I'm going into the guest room Red, but please get some rest, and don't worry about it. You're almost home." He's right, I am, so why does this seem so far away from me right now? I slump backwards, staring up at the cracks in the ceiling as he leaves the room and stay like that until I fall into a confused asleep, only waking briefly when Declan's mother comes in to turn off the light.

"Red, get up!" I jolt awake, the light blinding me and I moan as I look over at Declan who is standing fully dressed in the doorway. "Red get dressed and get downstairs, hurry!" He shouts then sprints away. _What the hell_? I blink heavy exhaustion from my eyes and twist, glancing at the clock on the bedside table. 3:30 AM it tells me, something is wrong then, very wrong. I obey Declan's orders quickly, jumping out of bed and changing hurriedly into a powder blue shirt, jeans, and a black jacket with simple worn out sneakers, then take off after him. I jog down the steps into the living room where Declan's father is at the window, looking anxiously outside. The man's wife turns toward me from beside her husband as I appear, her face pale.

"Oh goodness Red I'm so sorry, there are soldiers knocking on every door looking for the two of you, they have a pretty accurate physical description apparently from the captain of your team."

"Why would he have told them that?" I ask as Declan appears from the kitchen, wrapping what looks like a handful of sandwiches in tinfoil.

"Why do people tell anyone secrets Red?" He answers dully, I look closely at his expression.

"You don't mean…" He just nods and I feel sick as the realization that both sides are using torture against their enemies in this war settles inside me.

"We need to get out of here," He continues.

"They're two houses away, go through the back door and into the Rock Tunnel son." His father speaks up now and Declan nods, throwing his arms around each of them. "Take care of each other," We're reminded as Declan grabs me by the wrist and we go for the back of the house, out into the shaded backyard. Even from here I can make out shouting and loud banging.

"Come on, over the fence!" Declan calls, dragging me forward and we clamber over the metal links, sprinting up a steep incline toward the mountain looming in front of us. "Go, inside!" He shouts as we barrel headfirst into the cave. "This is the first place they'll look, just keep going forward!" he gasps so we do, twisting and turning wildly through the dark recesses of the cave. "Keep going!" Declan gasps beside me, "keep going!" So we do, running until my legs burn, until I can barely breathe and then we just go faster, harder. Shadows loom in front of us and several times we barely avoid leaping into a pool of water or crashing into cave walls. Finally we stop, leaning heavily against the walls, breathing hard, gasping for oxygen. "Emma and I used to explore this cave when we were younger, the exit is this way it will lead us to Cerulean City." He tells me then takes off again and I follow him blindly.

It is still dark out when we escape the cave and he immediately turns north, never ceasing in his desperate sprint. We turn east, leaping over steep ledges and running across hard paths of rock and debris. We each slip twice, scraping our palms and knees but we just wipe the blood and grit away and keep going.

"Do you think they're still following us?" I hiss as the lights of Cerulean come into view.

"No, they don't even know we were at my parents house." He answers, slowing considerably until we are both doubled over, too weak to do anything but breathe.

"They were searching houses right?"

"Yes."

"Then they know Declan. The unmade beds, the uniforms, you're parents can't explain that." I remind him.

He swears loudly and sighs, "We can't go into Cerulean and we can't go back because they'll come after us. There has to be someplace we can hide."

"I know a place," I blurt out and he looks at me with a frown. "It's not too far from here, we'll only have to go into Cerulean for a moment and it will be faster if we swim there." He stares at me hard, frowning slightly,

"Are you remembering it?"

"I think so,"

"Do you remember anything else?" I shake my head and I lie. Because I can remember running just like we have been, with my lungs aching, others around me as we race to our destination, into that dark cave, a huge battle, and then darkness. "Then we need to go, where is it?"

"This way!" We start running, again. I find myself waiting eagerly for the day when I will be able to face up to our problems instead of run from them, but this isn't that day. Just as I told Declan we break into northern Cerulean, heading straight for the river, and since it's barely 4:30 there's no one to exactly see us as we dive headfirst into the water. We move desperately through the black waves as we strike out for the far shore, which isn't that far.

I help Declan out and then sprint for the open cave face as we head into the blackness again. "Do we just wait here?" Declan asks quietly.

"No," I answer, "we need to go farther." We don't run this time but move quietly in the eery, cool silence of the cave into a long tunnel.

"Is there anything back here?"

"Yes," I whisper, "I'm sure of it."

Several more minutes of tense, silent walking.

_You found me man_

"What the hell!" Declan gasps but I just ask blankly,

"Mewtwo!" I gasp,

"Mewtwo?"

"Yeah, he was with me in that cave for eight years, he took care of me."

"You failed to mention that detail?"

"Shut up Declan,"

_You brought another with you. How…troublesome._

"Mewtwo can you help us?" I call, wishing I could see him.

_I have already repaid my debt to you man. I should send you away from here._

"We can't leave!" I answer, "we're being-"

_Chased, I know man. I have paid attention to your wanderings and am disappointed you have mixed yourself in this wasteful war._

"You can't send us away…" I trail off,

_Correctly man, I won't send you away. You may stay here the night, but you must be gone before the sun rises._

"Where are you?"

_Move farther in._ So we do and after a minute or so the space around us widens and I find Mewtwo standing atop a fallen boulder, looking at us, a distorted piece of metal crushed under his foot.

"Thank you," I manage to tell him.

_Your friend is in shock, he won't be of use for an hour or so._ I glance over at Declan to see he is just staring at Mewtwo and blinking, trying to piece everything together. I carefully sit him against the wall and then sit beside him, looking at Mewtwo. _The soldiers from Lavender have informed the other cities, Cerulean is searching for you, it is good you came here._

"Are his parents okay?" I jerk my head at Declan,

_His mother is fine, his father refused to answer their questions for a little, he will live though._

Silence.

"Mewtwo?"

_Hm?_

"Will you explain what you told me before I left? About rocks falling and evil being destroyed?"

_You came here when I was being controlled by an evil man who sought revenge against you. You rescued your son and in order to defeat me you destroyed this cave, rocks falling. The boulders tore off the bonds I wore, metal crashed._ At this he grinds his foot deeper into the steel beneath him._ The man was also killed, evil fell, but you would die too, destroyed at a price. I could control myself again, freedom was near. You were to die though, my savior was gone, so I took you to Unova, as far from here as I could._

"Why did you keep me for eight years?"

_I did not desire anything to hurt you man. But simply keeping you there was hurting you, you needed others of your kind and light and the will to live._

"Thank you," he doesn't answer and when I glance again at Declan I see he has fallen asleep. I become aware of just how exhausted I am so settle in for a couple meager hours of sleep.

**Authors Note:** _So how many of you are going to tell__ me there's no water in the Rock Tunnel..._

_Reviews are appreciated and thanks for reading!_

_-SB3_


	8. Chapter 8

**Authors Note: **_Hello my beautiful, wonderful readers! I love you all! Except not in that way...that would be creepy. Oh how this book excites me, which is sort of pathetic considering I'm the author. Thank you one and all for your wonderful support, I don't know where I would be without you...literally I would probably be not writing, so thank you!_

_Reviews are appreciated and thanks for reading!_

_-SB3_

**Chapter 8**

_Wake up man._

"What?" I groan and peel my eyes open, taking a moment to remember where I am, what has happened.

_It is almost sunrise, you must go now._ I look over at Mewtwo and see Declan standing towards the entrance of the cavern, away from Mewtwo and from me.

"Red come on, he's right we need to be going." He whispers and I nod, struggling slowly to my feet, feeling the raw soreness in every pore of my body. I long for a bed, for food and water, warmth, and comfort. Instead I know this will be a day of hard traveling, and probably hiding.

"Thank you Mewtwo," I tell the creature and he looks at me silently.

_Goodbye man._ I watch as a blinding white light covers my eyes and turn away, wincing. When it finally clears I look back to see the cave empty. _And good luck._ When I turn back Declan is facing me, watching the place where Mewtwo stood in silence.

"You think he could have teleported us to Pallet Town." My friend grumbles and I smile vaguely

"That's not quite his way, he's an interesting creature, and he's willing to help, just not too much." I explain. He shrugs and hands me a soggy, sad lump of a sandwich. We eat in silence as we walk back through the cave, Declan's face is downcast and I have any number of guesses as to what could have him down, I have a long enough list myself.

"Get through Mt. Moon and Pewter City today, hopefully we can hide out in Viridian forest for the night. Then we should make it to Pallet Town tomorrow, but getting through Viridian will be tough due to increased security near the Pokemon League."

"Declan we're fugitives and runaways, even if we get to Pallet Town what then?"

"I don't know Red okay? Just take this one day at a time we'll figure it out when we get there!" He snaps. I fall silent and don't speak again as we leave the cave, to find dawn just breaking through, and head further east toward Mt. Moon. We enter the cave and move like dead people, shoulders slumped, eyes glazed over with exhaustion. It's just like the morning after Emma died, as if all the fight has left us. _Tomorrow, you could be home tomorrow._ I remind myself but it doesn't have the same effect it did when I knew I would be driven and out of harms way, anything could go wrong in the next couple days. "Trainers and fossil maniacs and scientists tend to gather here during the day Red so just act normal, we'll be fine." I look around myself, at the Geodude and Onix who peer curiously out at us but otherwise turn away in boredom.

_I had Pokemon of my own once._ I remember with a frown, _I was the champion, the best, what was my team like back then, what was I like?_

"Declan?"

"Yes,"

"If I was the champion of Kanto, what was I like?"

"Most kids learn about you in school, you were a champion at the same time that we were learning though, more of a current events celebrity. We would see you on TV before you disappeared, it was weird. In the semifinals and finals you were hyper and excited, juvenile and childish. Then suddenly you were in an interview one day and you were quiet, solemn, you didn't make much eye contact. It was a matter of months before you disappeared to Mt. Silver and over the next few years everyone sort of forgot about you. Emma and I moved to Unova around that time and…well…we heard Yellow brought you back and about your death but all of that was sort of far away for us in Unova."

"Do you know what happened to me, within that time of fame, when I changed so much?"

"No, but virtually no one does Red, I imagine you'll be able to ask Yellow when we see her. She is your wife after all." We pass a handful of people but none of them pay much attention to us. We pass several battles between trainers but skirt them. I'm growing accustomed to the caves, they 're cool and dark, they offer protection and shelter. I wonder if I might be growing too fond of them, you might think after eight years in one I would be utterly sick of them.

It is 11 AM by the time we emerge, Declan's small, and apparently immortal, digital watch tells us. I'm not sure whether I should feel hungry or not, I just feel sort of numb and dazed. _Left foot, right foot, you'll be home tomorrow, just keep going, just a little longer._ I tell myself, but I'm starting to lose the will to go on. The only thing keeping me going is picturing the woman's face, Yellow's face I'm certain now, from my dreams. There is a Pokemon Center at the exit of the cave, I blink when I see the familiar red building and glance at Declan.

"Could we go in?" I ask. He frowns, considering this.

"Probably," He shrugs, "the cities and towns have been warned about us but otherwise it should be fine to just rest for a little while." We enter the sparsely populated building and, when no one gives us more than a second glance, relax. As in most Pokemon Centers there is the hospital in the back, a small area of rooms for trainers to stay in, and a little diner style restaurant. Declan and I slide into a booth, ordering drinks and then we just sit and stare down at our glasses. "How much later did you fall asleep than me last night?" Declan asks,

"I don't know…I spoke with Mewtwo for maybe twenty minutes, not long. Either way we only got two hours or so." Its easy to see the lack of sleep on his face, and mine I'm sure as well. I sip the soda in front of me quietly and look down at the table top, feeling my eyes droop in exhaustion. "Are you sure we'll get there tomorrow?" I ask.

"Yes, if we leave here soon and get through Pewter City without much trouble." He answers. I nod as we finish our drinks and Declan pays with some money he grabbed right before we left his parents house.

"All right then lets get going." I sigh and we stand. I am just turning toward the doors when Declan slams back into his section of the booth, grabbing my sleeve and pulling me with him. "What? What is it?" I hiss as he peers around the corner, brow furrowing in agitation and anxiousness.

"Kanto soldiers," He whispers, voice quivering. I feel my heart sink, _why? Why now?_ I sigh and slump back against the booth.

"What are they doing?" I hiss. He takes a moment, watching their actions before answering quietly.

"Us, they're talking about us." He answers, voice strained. I look around his shoulder. Three red clad soldiers, guns and Pokeballs at their hips, talking to the nurse who frowns at the description they give of us.

"Hmm…I feel like, I've seen…" She trails off, thinking. Declan swears very softly.

"Get ready to run Red," I nod, gulping nervously just as she continues,

"They came in…they're over…" Her eyes scan the Center until they fall on our booth which we duck behind quickly. "I think they're in the restaurant area." Nurse Joy finishes.

"Thank you ma'am we'll go check," One of the soldiers grunts and I hear them walking toward us. Declan slumps in the booth and I look over at him.

"We're going to run, just wait for them to get close," He whispers. I listen to their footsteps, I let my body tense up, and Declan yells, "NOW!" We dive to the side, shoving the soldiers apart in our mad race for the door. We run, bursting out into the hot afternoon sun and we run and run.

"Hey, you! Stop where you are! Hands up!" I hear them shout but I just push myself faster, farther. I keep my eye on Declan beside me as we go and for a moment I think we will make it. We will get out of this, just like in Lavender Town it will be close but we will be safe.

After all why else would we have made it this far?

They're running after us though, I hear them, can feel them so close behind us, and then Declan is yanked backwards as they land on top of him.

"RED RUN!" He screams, but I don't. I can't leave him, not after he has sacrificed absolutely everything for me. I stop running, I let the soldier land on top of me, handcuff and arrest me. I lock eyes with Declan who just stares at me, looking broken and shocked.

"Where are we going?" He asks one of the soldiers as they lead us away.

"You two have caused us quite a bit of trouble," The man sneers, "we're taking you to a top security prison in Viridian City." It doesn't feel like I'm myself anymore as we are led back to the Pokemon Center, hurried into the back of a large nondescript gray van. We sit across from each other and I look at him, our blue and red eyes clashing with each other.

"Declan," I sigh heavily, "I'm so sorry for all of this." I find myself hunched over, "I'm so sorry I should never have dragged you into this Declan, I'm so sorry." He looks at me, and then turns away to stare out one of the chain link covered windows of the van.

When he looks back at me he looks even more defeated, his face pale, his eyes completely dead. It becomes obvious to me that Declan has heard of this penitentiary before, and it's clear we're never getting out of there. I look at him, all the times we fought onward, all the times we pulled each other forward. On the boat, when we were attacked, through Emma's death, going to Lavender, escaping through the Rock Tunnel, our night with Mewtwo, every time that we have encouraged each other, promised that we will make it. I just stare at his expression and finally I voice my fears.

"Declan, are we finished?" He knows what I mean, is this journey over? Will we never make it back to Pallet, is it time to give up?

He sighs heavily, looks out the window and finally answers, his voice breaking painfully "Yeah, Red, we're finished."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The van rumbles and shakes beneath us, giving me the impression it will fall apart at any moment. I look over at Declan but he has lulled backward and appears to be sleeping.I want to sleep too, after all of this running, after everything that's happened, I just want to fall backwards and sleep forever. I don't though, I stay awake as we growl into Pewter City and wind through the busy streets, trying to ignore the eyes of the citizens looking our way. I've already thought through every escape I can, but in truth I don't want to escape. I want to stop running, stop hiding, stop fighting, I just want to go limp. Our best bet right now is to live out this war until its over and then maybe I can find my family, or maybe I'll go somewhere else never to be seen again.

I glance outside as the van rumbles to a stop. We appear to be in the heart of the city, at a pretty town square with cheerful wildflowers and benches assembled. Something about the optimistic scene makes my hair stand on end and a worm of uncertainty wriggles into my stomach. I glance at Declan to see him staring outside, whether he was ever actually asleep or not I don't ask. He is frowning, his eyes clouded with uncertainty. Then his confusion clears and he slumps back, looking at me like he wants to say something but remains silent.

"What is it?" I ask, he shrugs. "Declan," I press, "you have an idea of why we stopped, what is it?"

He chews his bottom lip for a moment before answering hesitantly. "Lets just say Red…chances are we won't both end up in Viridian City." I stare at him.

"Declan," I take a deep breath, "please tell me there's a prison here." He doesn't answer, just stares forlornly outside.

"I just…" He trails off, "I don't know which one of us…" I look out to see a small crowd gathering, and glimpse three soldiers dressed in faded, grimy light blue uniforms led forward. I look at the Kanto soldiers assembling in front of them, weapons aimed and ready.

"What if we told them who I am?"

"Won't work, we'd need someone who's not either of us to vouch, which we could have had once we got to Pallet Town but not now…they won't believe just the two of us." The back door of the van is pulled open and a Kanto soldier glances in on us.

"Get out!" He barks harshly. I stand up, my legs shaking uncontrollably as I climb out, with Declan right behind me.

"They won't kill both of us," he whispers in my ear, "and I'm going to make sure the one they choose isn't you."

"Declan no!" I gasp, but he ignores me. As I walk forward to stand awkwardly with two soldiers amongst the crowd of Pewter citizens I watch him break away, see him approach a soldier and speak to him quietly. At first I think, I _pray_, the soldier will not listen to him, that he will order my friend to take my place here and force me to the center of this execution circle. My heart sinks as the man puts a hand in Declan's front pocket and withdraws the remainder of his money, counting it out. He looks up and confirms something, I can see the words on his lips,

"You instead?" Declan nods, the soldier sneers contemptuously, "fine, get up there hero!"

"NO!" I scream and launch myself forward only to be harshly pulled back by the soldiers on either side of me.

"Stay there!" Declan snarls turning on me as he passes. "I haven't given this much up for you to die, so STAY THERE!" There is anger in his voice, anger and grief. I step backward and watch him stand with the other three Unova soldiers, watch the crowd take in a sharp breath as the firing squad readies their weapons.

I watch him die.

Watch as his body is torn open by the round of bullets they stream into his body. I hear my own voice "DON'T SHOOT HIM!" I feel my entire body collapse underneath me, unable to support myself. Everything after that is so numb, being half dragged half carried to the van, shoved back inside. I feel the rumbling pick up again beneath me and I just stare out the window, blank and unable to process anything. Is this how Declan felt after Emma died? Yes her death was unbelievable painful, but this, she didn't choose to die in my place. He just stepped up there to be shot, and all for me, a stranger he barely knew, someone he met barely three months ago! I feel self hate and loathing breaking against me violently, demanding why I exist as such a miserable, pathetic being.

The sun sets and turns to night, and I embrace the pain inside of me, drowning myself in it, because feeling such unending agony reminds me I am alive. I'm not sure I want to be alive though, I don't want to be dead either, I just want to cease existing altogether. The van shakes into Viridian City, I'm not quite aware of it stopping in front of an impressive gray stone building, I barely hear the taunting words of the soldier as he leads me down a blank hallway to an empty cell,

"Welcome home," I sit down in there and stare forward.

There was something inside of me, some sort of hint of faith or hope, that maybe we could escape. That maybe we could leave, get to Pallet Town, that this could still work out. Now it's gone though, now there is nothing left but a hollow emptiness inside of me. What worth is any of this? Living this life of half-memories? There is nothing left for me here, nothing left anywhere, not anymore.

I didn't want to believe it.

I didn't believe it.

But Declan is right.

We're finished.

**Authors Note: **_I actually have chapter 10 (the last chapter) done but I'm going to give you guys two days to read this before I post it_

_As always reviews are appreciated and thanks for reading!_

_-SB3_


	10. Chapter 10

**Authors Note: **_"I thought you said two days!" I did but as it turns out I won't have time tomorrow and someone asked for just one day so I was like...why not? Now, I have an epilogue that I may or may not post. If three or more of you ask for the epilogue I will post it, if two or less ask I will not post it but will PM it to those who asked so... its a win win either way. You can decide whether you want to see the way I end it or make the ending for yourself._

_Reviews are appreciated and thanks for reading!_

_-SB3_

**Chapter 10**

Time passes, the pain fades. Hours turn to days, which turn to weeks. My life becomes generic and basic in this prison, I eat and sleep and work. My time in the yard is spent standing in a corner, just staring forward and wondering. I wonder about Emma and Declan, and how much they sacrificed for me, and their parents and how I wish I could contact them. I wonder about Yellow, Hunter, and Rose who I long to know, to remember, but I painfully don't.

Twice I am launched into a fight with other prisoners, but I win, not even months like a zombie can destroy the physique I've acquired with a lifetime of training. I win, and I leave, not wanting to waste my time with such trivial concerns. Gossip still leaks into the prison, it always does, we hear about Kanto storming Opelucid and Castelia, forcing Iris to surrender. Kanto's victory is celebrated and obsessed over, I find myself hating both sides of the war though. Neither is in the right, both are wrong, there is no good or evil, just a black hole of cruelty. War turns people into savage monsters with no mindset, war turns everyone into terrible beasts.

That's what I believe anyway.

Despite Kanto's victory three months into my imprisonment, no one is released. Rumors of mass executions of prisoners, or for everyone to be pardoned, or set up in Kanto, circle like wildfire. I couldn't care less what happens now, there's just nothing left anymore. I failed my family and I failed my friends and I failed myself.

Six months pass after that and I am vaguely aware of the year mark for leaving that cave with Mewtwo, for meeting Emma and Declan. If I had stayed with Mewtwo there forever would none of this pain exist? Would I be able to live peacefully and easily with him? Without confusing half-memories? Life goes on, nothing happens to the prisoners.

He started the fight. He was angry about not being able to go home to his family, angry that I never react to anything, just stand passively and accept what is. He was angry at my lack of response to that. He was angry about a lot of things.

So was I, but I wasn't going to attack people because of it.

He dived forward, arms outstretched. It was simple enough for me to sidestep and knock him to the ground. My injury was my own fault for turning my back. He shoved me to the ground and kicked me over and over again until my rib broke and I was screaming.

They took me to the infirmary and there I sat with other wounded prisoners, my shirt off, waiting for a nurse or doctor to treat me. It was a distracting break in my usual routine but not one that would be too much of a nuisance.

"I still don't know why you waste your time with these urchins," That's the warden, probably speaking to one of the volunteer nurses.

"My apologies but I will not leave these men and women here to suffer when they are injured," She answers, her tone angry and frustrated. "They should all go home anyway, poor people, I don't understand why Lance is keeping them here"

"They don't deserve you miss," He scoffs. My eyes slide to the right and I look at the wardens hungry face, ravenous eyes, I watch his hand move out to touch the woman. Its too exhausting to look at her, too much useless effort.

"Try to touch me and I will call my son," He immediately withdraws. I decide her son must be very protective of his mother, that usually results from an absent father, or just a very loyal and loving son.

"That's…amazing." The soldier she is treating gasps, distracting my thoughts."My wound is gone, thank you!"

"You're welcome," She tells him. I look down at my seriously bruised rib, trying to ignore the throbbing pain there. I wait patiently, crossing and uncrossing my ankles. She goes through two more men and then pauses in front of me. She is respectful, keeping her eyes cast down and her distance from me. As if knowing the pain I have been through, understanding our plight as prisoners and not wishing to intrude on us. "Oh my…" She gasps looking at the ugly purple and black mark. I try to ignore her sympathy, I don't want it. She touches the bruise and I suck in a breath as the bone knits itself together. The bruise slowly fades away and I smile, for the first time in a year I feel a deep glowing warmth spreading through me.

The healing pauses after a moment and I look at her, to see her beautiful green eyes are stuck on something beside the bruise. The old scar Declan noticed, above my diaphragm.

"Strange…" She whispers, "that scar looks like…" Her eyes look up at me, and I gasp.

She is a little younger than me, beautiful with soft blond hair tied back in a ponytail and striking emerald eyes that are watering with tears. Her name comes first, Yellow, and then the memories. Thousands, probably millions, not overwhelming and flashing like they have been in the past but gently nudging their way into my mind, slipping into place, filling empty gaps.

Everything Mewtwo told me makes sense, everything that book mentioned has a meaning, my fame, my championship battle, my children, oh my children, and my wife. My entire life fits into its slot in my head in a matter of moments as I stare at Yellow.

"Oh my god," She steps forward, and I reach a weak hand out and touch her cheek lightly, soft beneath my calloused hands. She doesn't hesitate, she leans forward and kisses me, no questions, nothing. She puts her hands around me and pulls me closer to her while my fingers tangle in her hair. Our kiss is interrupted only by her painful sobs, but she refuses to stop holding me, kissing me, even in the depth of tears.

"You don't want an explanation?" I gasp finally, pulling away from her. _How I'm alive, the army, why I'm in prison, eight years away, anything?_ Her cheeks are stained with tears, her eyes watering heavily.

She presses her lips to mine again eagerly, only pausing to answer, "you have forever to explain things Red, because I'm never letting you out of my sight again."


	11. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

It takes 1 month. A month involving a polygraph and DNA test to move me from the prison to an apartment in Viridian. Then there is 11 straight months of chaos. Interviews and talk shows and explanations repeated over and over again. Some maniacs begin obsessive searches for Mewtwo which I lean against and after several weeks outlaw. There is an investigation into Cerulean Cave, uncovering Giovanni's decayed body, the metal scraps of Mewtwo's bonds, and nothing else. I speak out for the release of Unova prisoners and within two months they are all sent home.

One day when I miraculously have nothing to be done and nothing to go to I sit down and pen a letter. On the day I predict that letter will arrive I make a phone call and thank the couple in Lavender Town for their son and daughters sacrifice. They come to Viridian for a week and we talk and talk and one evening do nothing but cry.

"Yellow?" I ask somewhere in the fifth month of the year. "When will I see Hunter and Rose?" She looks over at me from the window of the apartment.

"I want them to see you after all of this is over, once they can see you and know that you'll be home to stay."

"That's…a good idea." I admit,

"Hunter's furious about it, he leaves me a voice mail demanding to see you as soon as possible every day or so but he hasn't disobeyed me yet."

"And Rose?"

"For a while she was confused about the whole thing, and now she's eager but not demanding like Hunter."

I don't meet my children. I do meet Professor Oak though, and my mother. I meet Green and Blue, and their five year old twin sons Alec and Andrew, and baby Amanda. Ethan comes out for several days to see me again, and spends most of them apologizing for not being able to do anything. I tell him not to worry about it and finally he seem to accept my forgiveness and his guilt from the last nine years fades.

Finally, 12 months after Yellow finds me, and ten years after I rescued Hunter from Giovanni, my wife leads me to a small two story house on the waterside of Pallet Town. It is there that Hunter stands out front and I stare into the a mirror at a younger reflection of myself.

"Welcome home dad," His voice is choked, his throat tight as we hug and he gasps through his tears, "and thank you."

Then he moves aside and I approach the little blond girl with bright crimson eyes. She looks up at me as I bend in front of her, conscious of my son and wifes eyes trained on our every move. Her voice is hesitant when she whispers,

"Nice to meet you daddy." Then she leaps forward and wraps herself around me.

That night, in bed next to my wife with my children across the hall I go over everything. Not just the past two or ten years, but my entire life. I consider Emma and Declan and my family, and friends, every part of my life that has built together to create this. My life will never be normal, none of ours will. My entire family, we will all be affected by this. Hunter having been kidnapped and watching me seemingly die, Yellow raising Rose by herself, and all of them dealing with my fame on their shoulders. And me? The wounds from the deaths of Emma and Declan may never heal, the sacrifices they made can never be repaid, they will live on in me, and in the man and woman in Lavender. The suffering I caused Yellow, believing I was dead, promising I would be there to take care of Rose when I wasn't. The guilt which lived in Ethan, the pain which Hunter hid, the questions which jumbled in Roses' mind when she mentioned her father only to cause a household of tears. We will all bear scars in our lives from this, from our trials and our challenges. Yet, in a way, isn't that better?

**The End**

**Authors Note: **_Aren't cliche endings the best? __Short and sweet, but that's the end. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed and supported me throughout these two short books, I've been truly blessed to have you all thank you very very much. _

_Reviews are appreciated and thanks for reading!_

_-SB3_


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